Cigarette holder



Sept. 25, 1934, o. E. Ross 1,974,658

CIGARETTE HOLDER Filed April 6, 1953 lNs Enfm,

064.14 r E. Ross Patented Sept. 25, 1934 w UNITEDSTATES PATENT ori ice,

LCIGARETTE HOLDER Oscar E. Ross, Columbus, Ind; N 1 Application April*6 1933, srm No.;664,'i"79 Z'Claims. (01. 206-41) This invention relates to the art of containers and particularlyto a container intended to hold cigarettes in a'certain arrangement whereby cigarettes may be obtained from the container one 5 at a time merely by jerking or shaking the container so that at no time does the operator have to remove lids or covers or even place his hands or fingers upon the cigarettes. The container may be operated by one hand so that, for exam- .10 ple, an automobile driver may obtain a cigarette i to three cigarettes being carried in alignment transversely of the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art by the following description which is made in i235; reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a structure embodying my invention with a portion of a wall broken away;

Fig. 2, a top plan view;

Fig. 3, a horizontal transverse section through the structure;

Fig. 4, a side elevation of a modified form of the structure with portions thereof broken away, and

Fig. 5, a view in perspective of the form as shown in Fig. 1 with the container revolved ninety degrees.

Like charactersof reference indicate like parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, I form a container to have the side wall 10 arranged to define an elliptical chamber therewithin and provide a bottom 11 thereacross. A top 12 is provided and is formed to have a hole 13 at one end thereof, pref- .45; erably tangential-with the curvature of the wall therebelow, the hole being located on the major axis of the top. Preferably the top, bottom and. side walls are joined together to form an integral structure and cigarettes 14 are placed in the container by inserting them one at a time through the hole 13. The inside dimensions of the container are such that the container has a height just sufficient to receive the cigarettes 14 IN therewith with very little clearance at the ends so that the cigarettes are normally held vertically within the container. Thetransverse -dimensions of the container are selected tobe such that the cigarettes-will beperm'itted to align themselves transversely thereacross as indicated in Fig. 3 whereby but asingle cigarette may be positioned at either end of the container. This is essential since a cigarette to be ejected from the container must be so positioned in relation to the hole 13 that it will not catch on the edges of the hole. If the cigarette is not centrally positioned within the container in relation to the hole 13, then it can not be ejected. By so proportioning the dimensions of the container so as to cause the cigarettes toautomatically arrange themselves whereby there is always one cigarette aligned centrally with the hole 13 when the container is tipped over as indicated in Fig. 5, there is never any difliculty in causing that aligned cigarette to be ejected through the hole 13 when desired. 1

Since a cigarette below the hole is aligned by the other cigarettes therebehind, there is some weight placed thereon so that unless the container is shaken somewhat, the aligned cigarette will not tend to work out through the hole when the container is carried in a pocket on its side. It is to be noted that by providing the hole 13 in the top only there is no means available whereby the cigarettes may be gripped by ones fingers at any time and that there is no movable member or the like employed.

For convenience in loading the container, a telescoping arrangement may be employed such as is illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein a telescoping wall 15 is formed to fit frictionally down over the wall 10 for a considerable distance and this wall 15 carries a top enclosure 16. The wall 10 in this case does not have a top since the enclos- I ing top member is carried by the telescoping member 15 and the hole through which the ciga- 9 rettes are to be ejected is provided in this top 16. The telescoping arrangement is suggested only for the purpose of convenience in loading and is not intended to form a cover to be removed for the purpose of selecting and withdrawing cigarettes from the case. In either form, the container is operated by gripping it about the wall 10 and giving it a downward and then upward movement to cause a cigarette 14, Fig. 5, to be ejected partially through the hole 13. The container is then used as a holder to carry the cigarette to the smokers mouth where it is gripped by the extended end and held while the container is pulled outwardly and away from the cigarette. As soon as this particular cigarette is removed, others (Elli elliptical in cross section, a bottom uniting with the wall forming a permanent closure thereacross,

and a top across the upper end of the wall form- 7 ing a closure thereover, said top having a hole at one end thereof centered on the major axis of the top and tangential by its outer side with the inner side of the side wall, said top having a wall tele' scoping outside of the side wall of the container for more than half of the area of said side Wall and making a close friction fit therewith to make the use of the hole in the top easier for the ejection of a cigarette than by removing the top.

2. A dispensing container for cigarettes comprising a side wall defining a chamber therewithin elliptical in cross section, a bottom uniting with the Wall forming a permanent closure thereacross, and a top across the upper end of the wall forming a closure thereover, said top having a hole at one end thereof centered on themajor axis of the top and tangential by its outer side with the inner side of the side wall, said side wall being of a height but slightly exceeding the length of the cigarettes whereby the cigarettes are maintained in vertical positions, and said side wall being curved to have transverse dimensions to permit a number of cigarettes to be aligned abreast thereacross for the major length of the chamber and to have but a single cigarette at each end thereof whereby one cigarette will be automatically centered under said hole, said top having awall telescoping outside of the side wall of the container for more than half of the area of said side Wall and making a close friction fit therewith to make the use of the hole in the top easier for the ejection of a cigarette than by removing the top.

OSCAR E. ROSS. 

